Shopping Rituals?

While I was indulging in my favorite post-shopping (or, as I jokingly call it, post-game) ritual, I started to wonder if I'm alone.

BTers- do you have any rituals that you do when you shop? Either before, during, or after? Or do you shop at certain places at certain times (for example, I can't pass one particular outlet mall without stopping at 3 stores)?

I'll hold off on posting mine for a minute- because I might just be crazy!

Re: Shopping Rituals?

The only entrance to the mall is Nordstrom. I start at Nordstrom, even though Sephora is at the other end of the mall. To a previous poster who said why not park near where you're going? More exercise! (Bonus points if you're pushing a stroller.)

Besides, I have to work off some of the calories from Cinnabon *somehow*.

If the hubby is with me, I've got probably 10 minutes before he starts bugging me to leave. If I've got Ashley with me? Whatever amount of time until she starts crying. By myself? However much time I please. But there certain sizes or things that Sephora doesn't carry that I usually end up getting at Nordstrom.

Re: Shopping Rituals?

Ha, in this case I was referring to my mom, who will park somewhere in one of the 20 000 parking spots and go into one of the 45 entrances to the mall and not remember which. You get enough exercise just going from store to store in that mall. 800 stores plus a waterpark, amusement park, ice rink, skate park, 2 mini golf courses, 3 food courts, a casino, 4 radio stations, a gun range, etc etc. I promise you will walk far enough!

Re: Shopping Rituals?

The mall and its surrounding parking lots are 24 square blocks. Oh and I forgot a movie theatre (the other 3 are gone now), night club, bowling alley, pool hall, music venue, large scale model of one of Christopher Columbus's ships (the Santa Maria), sea lions, penguins, a variety of reptiles and sea creatures for kids to learn about, oh, and there were flamingos but they are loaned out to a zoo for breeding so they have lemurs and sloths instead for now. I'm probably forgetting things. but in this case you want to park somewhere you'll remember. Like near Sephora!

Re: Shopping Rituals?

Before I go shopping, I wash my face/remove all makeup and only put on a simple moisturizer. That way, I am in prime condition to play with all of the goodies at Sephora!

I sort of meander around shopping, no real ritual, but I always spray myself with perfume as I am leaving. Usually it's Chloe, but lately I've decided to try J'adore Dior. I take a deep inhale/exhale, smile, and walk out. I'm almost certain I look crazy when I do this, but I just love shopping at Sephora :-P

Re: Shopping Rituals?

one thing i always do is leave everything i bought in its shopping bag until I am ready to use it for the first time. Right after I buy clothes/makeup i will take it out of the shopping bag to look at it, open, swatch it, etc. but then i will put the product back in its packaging and back in its shopping bag until the day when i actually use the product for the first time. I don't know why, and I never really thought about it until this post, but it's what i do! lol

Re: Shopping Rituals?

It confuses me so much if I go to the mall with my mom and she just parks wherever instead of my usual area for wherever we're going. Throws me off completely. Also honestly, if you're going to the biggest mall on the continent, try to park near where you want to shop! Why is this so hard??

Re: Shopping Rituals?

I always hit the same shops when I go to the mall: Sephora, Victoria's Secret, Bath and Body, Macy's, Forever 21 and Payless. If I have any coupons, I make sure to bring them (and I *always* have a B&BW coupon ) My one habit at Sephora - if I'm just there browsing - is to circle the edges of the store and then head straight to the clearance section. Money's been tight lately so it's always exciting to find a cute product that doesn't have too much guilt attached to it, haha.

When I get home, I go through all my purchases, admire them, and then put them back in their bags. I usually wait til later to sort them out/organize them with the rest of my stuff. I get an odd satisfaction from staggering the post-shopping experience, lol.

During - Go to all of my usual stores (Nordstrom, Sephora, MAC, Macy's, etc) Take my precious time in each store. Usually in Sephora I will literally swatch the whole store and keep going back and forth on what to buy.

Between shopping at stores - Get a snack or sit down and take a break. Yes shopping can tire me out haha

After - Eat somewhere, go home and look at everything I got. If I bought makeup I usually spend a really long time looking at them and planning when I will use it or what look I'll do with it.

I usually do majority of my shopping online nowadays. But this is what I do when I go to the mall.

Re: Shopping Rituals?

I'm with Meg82! I always have to get some sort of snack before leaving the mall.

In terms of actual mall visits I like to generally go to the same stores depending on the mall I'm going to. Sephora, Victoria's Secret, Hot Topic (yes yes I still visit HT even though I am in my mind twenties...what can I say I like their accessories), Cotton On, Typo, Nordstrom. Oh and I always, always have to stop and pick up candles at Bath and Body Works.

Usually I'll shop for anything and everything without rhyme or reason. I like to purchase home goods as well as things for my wardrobe. If I see something I'm questioning getting, but find that I'm not 100% certain I should I'll just come back to the store before leaving.

- Lay everything out, take some pics in case I'm going to put it up on a blog/social media before I damage packaging & get finger prints all over everything.

- Admire! I take my time opening everything up, swatching, playing... This is the most fun part!

- Put everything in it's place, then quickly take it out & leave it on the counter/top of makeup bag so it gets used first the next day.

I'm probably missing a few steps or something really quirky that I do. But my routine is so standard that I don't even pay attention to what I do.

If my boyfriend is home, the bag stays in the car, or I hide it my closet. As soon as he leaves the house I run up the stairs and go through my routine. Then make sure all evidence is in the trash or hidden in the closet before he gets home. The worst is when a package gets delivered when he's home! I always get a "what did you get me?" & I have to make excuses & I won't open the box until he's gone. I try to time my deliveries so he won't be home, or I'll add a clinique shave gel for him. He never uses samples, so I can't put those in for him

Re: Shopping Rituals?

I don't think you're crazy! I don't have any at the moment but I am going to be in danger of gaining a lot of shopping rituals, there are soooo many more options in the States vs Canada! I'm excited/scared...